Call platforms enable management and call processing for facilities managing large volumes of telephone calls. Call platforms have been used in secure facilities such as prisons and other government detention centers to enable communications between residents and people outside the facilities. Unfortunately, extensive call processing hardware must be located at each individual facility in existing implementations of these platforms.
Existing call platforms for secure facilities utilize standardized Private Branch Exchange (PBX) equipment, such as that used in office telephone systems. These systems, however, do not provide the specific functions required for communications in secure facilities, including live call monitoring, forced call termination, and enhanced load balancing. Additionally, standard PBX software allows only minimal audio recording functionality, and limited archival capabilities. PBX implementations lack redundancy or fail over capabilities, and are limited in storage and service capacity. They also require the installation of specialized equipment for the recording of calls, and call processing is performed on-site using dedicated equipment.
Another issue is that PBX systems must be deployed individually for each facility. Management and access to these systems is dispersed, often requiring multiple physical computers and other hardware dedicated to each served institution. Some so-called “Offsite” or “Multi-Facility” solutions exist, but they are not centralized across facilities, and typically involve a traditional on-site communications system that is extended to an off-site facility only superficially. These systems simply include a communications link between the facility and another location storing the traditional equipment.
Secure facilities, by their nature, are typically located in remote locations and are not well suited for hosting call processing hardware. There are problems with cooling, dust, and power regulation that often cause increased hardware failure. In addition, repair staff must travel to the facility with replacement hardware before the facility can be brought back online. Thus, there exists a need for a centralized call platform for use at secure facilities that requires a minimum of facility-hosted equipment while also providing the advantageous features of a centralized platform.